I stepped off the Southwest Chief and met my host, Jim Charron.
Mendota Railroad MuseumMendota is an Indian name meaning crossing of the trails. In 1853, the Illinois Central Railroad and Chicago & Aurora Railroad crossed at this junction. The Illinois Central was known as a land-grant railroad, the first of its kind. The railroad was built on land granted to it by the government for the construction of the Illinois Central and was made possible by special legislation implemented by Abraham Lincoln and Stephan A. Douglas. The Illinois Central line was at one time the longest in the world and a section is still in place on the west side of the Mendota Depot/museum. Mendota quickly became a big railroad town because it was a major interchange point for freight and passengers.
The Union Depot Railroad Museum building is what remains of the original grand 1888 Mendota Railroad Station. However, when the society acquired the site it was virtually an empty shell. Many volunteers spent countless hours restoring the building to its original state with ticket office and waiting room. The museum has a waiting room for trains that stop in Mendota, a large HO model railroad layout depicting Mendota with its grand railroad station, display rooms with railroad artifacts, and an extensive railroad library.
Union Depot Railroad Museum is an Mendota Museums Historical Society museum and a Amtrak station stop. The building is a restored part of the original railroad station built in late 1880's which was torn down in the early 1940's. The museum houses many railroad artifacts, HO model railroad depicting Mendota in the late 1930's/ early 1940's, extensive railroad history library and many displays. Part of the building is a waiting room for Amtrak passengers.
My VisitWe stored my luggage in the office before starting our tour through the museum by visiting the Bill Greenwood Room, named after Chicago, Burlington and Quincy's Chief Operator Bill Greenwood.
A locomotive bell on display.
Conductor uniforms.
Railroad memorabelia.
Amtrak menus and display case with a picture above.
A corner display.
Another display case.
Newspaper article about the visit of Union Pacific M-10000 to Mendota.
An array of railroad uniform buttons and employee badges.
Photographs and timetables.
Pictures help tell the museum's story.
A picture and accompanying plaque given to Bill Greenwood.
Railroad lanterns on the window sills.
In the next room was a large model railroad of Mendota in 1942 by Ray Tutaj. Mendota was served by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, Milwaukee Road and Illinois Central Railroad and there were up 40 trains a day servicing the town. On display outside is equipment from each railroad.
Mendota Tower track boards.
Display cases housing the steam engines that Ray Tutaj built from scratch.
The awards Ray received for his model-building.
The Illinois Central's Chicago Central Station train sheds.
More marker light displays.
The Station Master's office. Next we went out into the glassed enclosed display room.
A Fairmont track speeder was the main exhibit in this room.
Another display case.
Baggage carts among the other items.
Track workers' tools.
The ornate ceiling lights from older passenger cars. We then went outside.
Another Fairmont motor car.
Chicago Burlington and Quincy 2-8-2 4978 built by Baldwin in 1923. It was originally assigned to the CB&Q Galesburg division, which included Mendota, and was active as late as 1961. It was retired in 1965, when it was donated to the\ LaSalle County Historical Society.
Looking out at the mainline rails on which the steam engine used to run.
The cab of the steam engine.
The firebox door.
The author at the engineer's controls.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy wooden caboose 14451 built by the Aurora Shops in 1911.
The interior.
The cupola chairs.
This caboose has passenger trucks from the 1880's.
This track was the original route of the Illinois Central in 1837.
Metra Electric, former Illinois Central, Highliner 1602 built by the St Louis Car Company in 1972 which carried passengers until 2004.
Interior of the Highliner.
The cab controls of Illinois Central 1602.
The restored Mendota Tower.
Metra Electric, former Illinois Central, Highliner 1619 built by the St. Louis Car Company in 1972 which carried passengers until 2004.
Southern Pacific lounge car 10402 "Golden Trencher" ex. WRLX 402 "American View", exxx. Cadillac and Lake City 402, exxx. Amtrak 10512, exxxx. Amtrak 10502, exxxxx. Amtrak 8502:1, nee Southern Pacific 10402 "Golden Trencher" built by Pullman-Standard in 1949.
Interior views.
Milwaukee Road Railway Express Agency car 2713 built by the railroad in 1938.
The passenger seating area of this car.
The express area.
The Mendota Museum and Amtrak station.
This completed our visit to the Mendota Railroad Museum. Later I would leave for home on the tracks in front of the Museum.
